Tirupati laddus will no longer be made with Nandini ghee after hike in milk prices

Tamil Nadu government's approval to increase Nandini milk prices by Rs 3 per litre affected the laddu preparation at Tirupati temple in Andhra Pradesh. (Image credit: @rightwingchora/Twitter)

Following the price hike of Nandini milk products, the iconic Tirupati laddus will no longer be made using the ghee made by Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) run Nandini dairy, KMF president Bhima Nayak told the media.

“As we announced a hike in the milk price from August 1, the ghee prices will also go up. The TTD has found a new company that provides them ghee to make Tirupati laddus at a cheaper price. So, after many years, we had to stop the supply of Nandini ghee to TTD,” Hindustan Times reported Nayak as saying.

He also said that the quality of the Tirupati laddus may be compromised because of the change in the ghee being used to prepare them. “I think that the laddus will not be the same anymore. I can also assure you that Nandini provides the best ghee in the market and goes through all quality checks. If any brand is supplying ghee for a lesser price than Nandini, I assume that the quality will be compromised,” the KMF president said, adding that the ghee of Nandini is made of global standards and other brand ghee cannot match its quality.

Tirumala Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh is a popular pilgrimage site and is visited by lakhs of devotees every week. It is also popular for its laddus which are considered the prasad or offerings blessed by Lord Balaji.

Tamil Nadu last week approved the increase in Nandini milk prices by Rs 3 per litre.“The milk (toned) that costs Rs 39 will be sold at Rs 42 per liter from August 1. Elsewhere, it is sold between Rs 54 and Rs 56 per litre. In Tamil Nadu the price is Rs 44 per litre,” Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had said.

Read more: Karnataka's Nandini milk price set to increase by Rs 3 per litre from August 1